A Perfect World 3: Shokuchu Flu
by Random Dawn 14
Summary: When Dimentio has what seems to be a stomach bug, but is actually something worse, it's up to Fawful, Mimi, Dawn, and Star to figure out what caused his illness and how to cure it. But they'll have to hurry, or Dimentio could lose his life...
1. Not a Smart Idea

**The third story for A Perfect World, yay! :)**

**This is just a kind of random idea. Hope you guys like it!**

* * *

Fawful shivered as a cold November wind blew in his face the moment he walked out the main doors out Toad Town High.

In the sky above him the clouds were a dark shade of gray.

"Think it'll snow soon?" he asked his friend Dimentio.

The older boy shrugged as he looked up to the sky. "Perhaps. I heard it's going to be a cold winter this year."

Fawful laughed. "Isn't winter _supposed _to be cold?"

Dimentio rolled his eyes. "Fine then; colder than usual. Now that I think about it, you don't get much snow in the Beanbean Kingdom, do you?"

"Not really." Fawful laughed again. "Back in my old hometown, people would joke that we have spring, summer, and a really long autumn."

This time Dimentio laughed with him. "Nice. Are we still going to the library to study?"

"Nah, not today. By the time we'd be done it'll be dark already. I don't like the idea of waiting for a bus in the dark."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. It'll be colder, too."

So instead of going to the Toad Town library, the two boys got on the bus to Dark City.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Dimentio mused. "Toad Town is actually bigger than Dark City. Of course, Dark City isn't really a city. It's more of a town than Toad Town is."

"That _is _interesting. Maybe someone meant for Dark City to be a city when it started out."

"They didn't do a good job of making that happen, did they?"

Fawful chuckled. "No, not really."

The bus arrived at Dark City and all the kids got off.

"Hey, where's Mimi?" Fawful asked. "I didn't see her on the bus and I didn't see her get off."

"Oh, I think she's doing something with Dawn and Star back in Toad Town," Dimentio said with a shrug.

"Oh."

They started walking.

Dimentio stopped suddenly causing Fawful to bump in to him.

"Why did you stop?"

"Shh, I saw something in that bush move." He floated closer to the bush to see what was there.

"It was probably just the wind," Fawful suggested.

"No, it wasn't the wind…"

To their surprise, a little creature that looked like a green boot hopped out from the bush.

"What is that thing?" Fawful wondered out loud.

Dimentio sat down next to it, ignoring the fact that the ground was cold.

"I've seen these creatures before, but I can't remember what they're called…"

Fawful also sat down. "It looks like a little boot. Or maybe a sock."

"Sockop!"

Fawful looked confused. "What…?

"They're called Sockops," Dimentio explained. "I appreciate you reminding me."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome then. It won't hurt us, will it?"

"I don't know much about Sockop other then their name, but I don't think it will. It looks pretty harmless, doesn't it?"

"I don't know; I have a bad feeling about this little guy…"

The older boy petted the Sockop and smiled. "There, see? He's rather friendly."

"I guess." Fawful still felt uneasy. Sure, the Sockop _looked _cute and friendly, but something just didn't seem right… "Er, is it…drooling?"

From the hole on the top of the Sockop, there seemed to be something dripping out and onto Dimentio's gloved hand. He brought it close to his face and sniffed it.

"It smells sweet…like honey. It kind of looks like honey, too."

Fawful chuckled. "If it tastes like honey, it'll pass the honey test," he joked.

Taking the Beanish somewhat serious, Dimentio started licking the honey-like substance off of his grove. "Yep, tastes like honey." Fawful gave him a look of shock.

"Dude! I was just kidding!"

"Well, I didn't particularly want it to dry on my grove!"

"You don't even know if it's safe to eat!" Fawful did a facepalm.

Dimentio stood up. "I'm sure it's fine. This little Sockop seems friendly enough; why would it let me eat its honey if it wasn't safe?"

Fawful had to admit he had no answer to that.

"Alright then. Now, let's go home before our families start to worry about us."

The two boys said their good byes and went their separate ways.

* * *

"Ugh," Dimentio awoke with a quiet groan. He opened his mismatched colored eyes to check the time.

4:15AM

With another groan, he rolled over to face the wall and began wondering what had woken him up.

It was Friday; a school day, but it wasn't time to get up yet.

_Maybe a sound woke me up?_

He listened carefully, but the only thing he heard was the wind blowing outside.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. He could still get a few more hours of sleep before he had get up and get ready for school. He felt a minor pain in his stomach, but assumed it was hunger.

Even though he was tried, Dimentio couldn't seem to fall asleep again.

Finally, he managed to doze off only to be awoken two hours later by his sister Nastasia.

"Come on, Dimentio," she said softly, gently shaking his shoulder. "It's time to get up."

Groaning, he opened his eyes. Nastasia gave him a worried look.

"You look tired," she commented.

"I didn't sleep too well," he replied as he sat up.

"Your face is pale, too." Then, realizing his face was _always _pale because he always hid it behind his mask, she added, "A rather sickly pale. Do you feel alright?"

Dimentio shook his head. No, he didn't feel alright.

His body felt cold but his head felt really warm and he had a slight headache.

Also, he felt really weak, like just getting out of bed would take an effort.

But most of all his stomach hurt a lot. It _definitely_ wasn't hunger pains. And yet, it didn't ache like he ate too much. He just felt ready to puke any minute.

"I think I caught a stomach bug," he moaned. "Or possibly the flu."

Nastasia placed a hand on his forehead. It felt nice and cool.

"You certainly caught _something_. You have a fever." She sounded concerned. "Lie back down, Dim. You should probably stay home today."

Dimentio was only happy to lie down again. He found just sitting up to be hard work.

With a sigh, Nastasia said, "I better go tell Dad. You just close your eyes and go to sleep; I'll be right back."

_If only it were that easy_, Dimentio thought, knowing he would probably have a hard time falling asleep.

* * *

**Nastasia calling Count Bleck "Dad". Hmm, a little weird, isn't it? XD**

**Things to be Explained:  
The whole thing with Beanbean not having much for winters I just made up because it seems like they would have a lot of nice weather. I don't know; just a random thought. :P**

**I _think _that's all, but as always, if you don't understand something in APW, ask away! :)**

**~Dawn**


	2. Frightening News

**Sorry this chapter is kind of short. :P  
I always seem to either have a few long chapters, or a lot of short chapters.  
Which do you like better?**

**Dimentio's Epic Girlfriend: Yeah. :c**

**Wafflegirl0304: Wasn't too smart, was it? :P  
And do you know what Shokuchu means? ;) Is this soon enough for ya?**

**.music156: Yes, _of course _he did. Thank you. ^^**

**RoseMarie Fanfics: Thanks! Ha ha ha! XD Don't worry; you'll found out what it was in this chapter. ;)  
Yes, but in that game they were known as Kuribo's boot. Sockop is actually an enemy from Bowser's Inside Story. I just love those cute little guys! :3  
Yeah, he should have listened to Fawful. Oh, wait. In this case maybe he _didn't _listen to Fawful, he would be fine. XD  
Wow, thank you! :D**

**Hawk of the Cherrywood Vines: And that's funny? ._.  
...oh, you said jk after that. It's okay then! XD**

**ME IS A BUNNY: I find it to be so much fun! ;3**

* * *

"I'm _so _glad today is Friday," Star said as she shut her locker. "Two whole days of not having any homework to do!"

Dawn nodded in agreement. "I thought today would never end. I swear you guys, math class is always more boring than usual on Fridays. Always."

"You know, sometimes I think Fridays secretly have an extra hour in the day that no one really notices. That's why the school seems longer; because really it is!"

Dawn laughed. "You're crazy, Star! That isn't possible and you know it."

The whole time they were talking, Fawful had been putting books from his locker into his backpack. He only half listened to the to girls chat, as he was deep in worried thoughts.

Usually by now he would have jump in calling Star crazy as well. She came up with some pretty weird theories sometimes!

"Hey, how come you aren't making fun of me yet?" Star asked him suddenly.

"Alright then; that is your craziest theory yet. Happy?"

"Aww, come on, Fawful! You can do better then that!"

"One would think you _like _being made fun," Dawn said, looking amused.

Star shrugged. "I would rather be made fun of then have all my friends totally ignore me. But seriously; what's on your mind, Fawful?"

"Just stuff." Fawful closed his locker and picked up his backpack. "I haven't seen Dimentio all day; I'm a little worried."

"Yeah, I haven't seen him, either," Dawn frowned. "I don't think he even came to school. And I haven't had a chance to talk with Mimi at all today. Next time I see her I'll ask what's up."

"Here she comes now," Star said.

"Hey, guys," Mimi said as she walked up to her friends. "Ready for two days of no homework?"

"YES!" Star said, a little bit louder than she meant to.

Some near by students looked at her then laughed and shook their heads. Everyone at Toad Town High knew Star could get a little wild at times, but that was what they loved about her!

"Mimi, why didn't Dimentio come to school today?" Dawn asked.

"He caught the flu or something. He was really sick this morning so he stayed home." Seeing the worried looks on her friends' faces, Mimi quickly added, "But I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days"

"I knew it," Fawful muttered. "This isn't good…"

"Is something wrong?" Mimi asked him, looking concerned.

"I think so, but I have to go the library and do some research to be sure."

He turned and headed for the front door of the school.

"Fawful! Wait up!" Mimi, Star, and Dawn hurried after him. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way," he answered. "I think I know why Dimentio's sick; and I'm almost _positive _it isn't the flu!"

* * *

A short while later, Dawn, Star, Fawful and Mimi sat at a table while Fawful read from a large book tiled _The History of Dark Land Forest_.

"Did you learn anything yet?" Star asked ten minutes later.

Fawful went back a few pages and started reading out loud.

"'Back in 1852 when folks started looking for places to settle in the Mushroom Kingdom, a large clearing was made in Shadow Woods', or what we now know as Dark Land Forest. 'In the clearing, a town was started. It was called Dark City, as the forest got very little sunlight, and settlers hoped one day the little town would grow to be a city.'"

"That obviously didn't work out," Dawn said with a smile. "Go on."

"'It was during the first winner the devious little creatures known as 'Sockop' were discovered. The villagers fed the seemingly friendly creatures and in return the Sockop shared the poisonous honey their bodies made.'"

"Why do their bodies make the honey?" Mimi asked.

"I read somewhere in here the honey is their food after they digest it. As for it being poisonous, well, thing of it as being, er…'waste'."

"So, what you're saying is," Star began, "Dimentio basically ate a Sockop's…" She couldn't seem to finish her thoughts.

Fawful nodded, knowing what she meant. "Pretty much."

The three girls looked disgusted.

"Eww!" they said at the same time.

"Yep. 'Within twelve hours of eating this honey, a villager would fall ill with flu-like symptoms. This illness was later called 'Shokuchu flu'."

"What the heck does _Shokuchu _mean?" Star asked.

Fawful shrugged. "It doesn't say. But you know how plants have scientific names?" He waited for the others to nod before continuing. "I'll bet Shokuchu is like the scientific name for Sockops. And it's obvious flu is in the name because of the flu-like symptoms."

Star nodded slowly. "Makes senses…"

"Good. Let's continue then. 'Victims of the Shokuchu flu were unable to keep food or even water down for more then a few minutes before vomiting.'"

"Wow." Dawn's eyes widened. "People couldn't even keep down a bit of water without getting sick? The poison must cause some serious stomach upset!"

Fawful nodded and bit his lip. "It gets worse from there. 'Due to the inability to drink water, many victims because dehydrated within a few days…many games were ended.'" Fawful read the last part in a low voice.

There was pure silence for a few moments before Mimi spoke up.

"Does…does that mean Dimentio's _game could end_?" she asked fearfully.

Fawful sighed sadly. "I really hate to say it, but yes. That's exactly what it means."

* * *

**Oh noes! This didn't look too good, does it? :c**

**OMG! I was so excited to upload this chapter, I almost about Things to be Explained! DX  
I'll make this quick; all of the stuff about the early days of Dark City and junk I made up.  
But me and my bro made up Dark City so it doesn't matter too much, lol.**

**Also, a lot of the facts about Sockops I made up. :P**

**Will Fawful and friends find a cure? If they _do _find a cure, will they be in time to save Dimentio?  
Will I ever finish writing the next chapter for Bowser's Retarted Story?**

**We'll find out the answers for the first two questions in the chapters to come.  
As for the last question, well... =/**

**~Dawn**


	3. Looking for a Cure

**Yay, a new chapter! :)**

**There'll probably be one or two more after this one.**

**Wafflegirl0304: You're welcome. :) Ha ha; they'll do their best!**

**Hawk of the Cherrywood Vines: Same here! They're so cute! ^^  
Thanks. :)**

**Dimentio's Epic Girlfriend: OMG PLEASE TURN OFF CAPS LOCK!  
Nah, I'm just kidding; I don't mind. :)  
Have no fear, Fawful and his friends will do their best to save him!**

**ME IS A BUNNY: lol XD**

** .music156: lol, eww is right! **

**the evil guest: And this whole time I thought you hated him. :)**

**Friend of Fawful:(First time) Thank you! ^^ It's fine. :)  
Clearly he didn't.  
(Second time) Cool. I can't wait to start on the next chapter. :D My Fridays have felt so empty lately. :'(  
I know, right? It's like when ever I start to really like a villain, they end up dying!  
Why, Nintendo? Why do you make me kill my fandoms?! DX  
*Cough* Anyway, do I _look _like a cruel people to you? *Does awesome face***

**RoseMarie Fanfics: Yes, things weren't looking good in the last chapter. But, things always get worse before they get better, right?  
Thanks. :) Ha ha, sorry you found that to be awkward. :P  
Rather gross, isn't it? XD**

* * *

"Was…was a cure ever found?" Mimi asked. She tried to keep her voice steady, but it was obvious she was scared.

"Um…" Fawful started reading the book again.

Dawn, Mimi, and Star waited quietly.

It felt like hours before Fawful finally closed the book and looked up.

"Well?" Dawn looked hopeful.

"A cure was discovered," Fawful answered with a sigh.

"That's a _good _thing. Why are you sighing?" Star asked.

"It doesn't say _what _the cure is. For now we have nothing to go on."

"Then maybe it's time to put the books away and start using our brains," Dawn said. "Plants!" Mimi said suddenly.

Everyone turned to her, looking confused.

"Plants," she said again. "Back then people made their own medicine out of plants. I'll bet they started experimenting with different plant and things when everyone started getting sick from the Sockop honey, and eventually they found a cure!"

"…"

"What? Didn't that make senses?"

"That," Fawful said with a grin, "is brilliant. We still have to figure out which plant we need to find, but at least we have something to go on now."

"_Attention please; due to an oncoming storm, the library will be closing early. If you have any books to check out, please do so now. Thank you."_

"Guess we should go now." Star stood up. "Call me and keep me updated, okay?"

"Wait! Why don't you guys come to my house?" Mimi asked. "I have to tell my family what's going now; it…might be easier if you could help me."

Fawful shrugged. "Okay. I'll have to let my mom know first, though."

"Come on," Dawn said to him. "Let's go outside and you can use my cell phone."

"Should we check out the book?" Star asked.

"Might as well. It could be useful later."

Dawn and Fawful went outside while Star and Mimi went to the front desk.

Dawn shivered.

"Sure is cold out," she commented as she dug her cell phone out of her coat pocket.

"Dark, too," Fawful added.

Star and Mimi came out a few minutes later. At the same time, a bus to Dark City pulled up the bus stop outside the library.

"Awesome timing!" Star exclaimed as they hurried to get on the bus.

As they sat down, she asked Fawful, "So, can you come over to Mimi's house for a while?"

"For a little while," he answered. "I have to be home before the storm comes, though."

"Okay then."

For the rest of the ride, the four friends were silent.

Fifteen minutes later as they were getting off the bus, Dawn's cell phone rang.

"Oh, crap," she muttered as she checked the number. "My parents are calling. They're probably wondering why I'm not home yet."

"You better let them where you are then," Star said.

"No kidding." She answered the call. "Hello?"

"Dawn!" her father, Mario, said sounding relieved. "Where are you? You should have been home almost an hour ago!"

"Sorry; I should have called. I was at the library and now I'm at the bus stop in Dark City."

"Dark City? What are you doing out there?"

With a sigh, Dawn began to explain the situation.

The whole time she was talking, the four friends were walking so they would stay warm.

"Shokuchu flu, huh? Good Grambi! Have they never taught you about Sockops in school?"

"Apparently not. Now we're trying to find a cure…" Dawn's eyes lit up. "Hey, Dad? Didn't you used to be a doctor?"

Mario chuckled. "I was for a few years."

"Do you know anything about Shokuchu flu? Could…could you help us?"

"Yes, I know a lot about Shokuchu flu and how to treat it. I'll be over as soon as I can. For now though, you better go let Blumiere and Timpani know what's going now. Then there's something else I'll need you and your friends to do."

"What is it?" Dawn asked, feeling excited. It looked like they would be able to save Dimentio! Not that she ever had any doubt they couldn't, of course.

"Growing somewhere in Dark Land Forest, is a fruit. It looks like an Oran berry, but it's dark green with white spots. Also, it's twice as big. That fruit is the cure for Shokuchu flu. I'll need you to find it for me."

"I understand. We'll find that berry."

"Good. I'll see you in about half an hour. Good luck, Dawn."

"Thanks, Dad. See you soon."

Dawn hung up and noticed her friends were staring at her. Knowing they wondered what was up, she said, "I have amazing news, guys. My dad used to be a doctor; he says he can help Dimentio!"

Mimi clapped her hands together. "Thank goodness! I'm so happy right now!"

Dawn smiled. She felt the same way. "He said he'll be here in about half an hour. In the meantime, though, your family needs to know about this. Then we have a little mission."

"Mission?" Fawful asked. "What kind of mission?"

Star raised her hand like they were back in school. "Question: does this mission involve beating some senses into Dimentio?"

Everyone laughed.

"No, we'll save that for when he's feeling better. For now, our mission is to find a berry. It's twice as big as an Oran berry, dark green with white spots, and it's the cure for Shokuchu flu."

"So I _was _on the right track when I guessed it was some kind of plant!" Mimi said happily.

"We'll have to get some flashlights when we get to your house…" Dawn stopped talking when something cold landed on her nose. She looked up. "I…think it's starting to snow, guys. We better hurry."

* * *

After the cold wind and snow outside, the warmth of Castle Bleck was welcomed by Mimi and her friend as they entered her home.

Dawn and Star had been there many times before, but this the first time Fawful had been there. It seemed everything in the castle was black; making the castle seem rather sinister, but at the same time, it felt homey.

"I'm home!" Mimi called out to whoever was listening. "And I brought some friends with me."

They all heard a door open in another room.

"That you, Mimi?" a male voice called out.

"Yep!"

"I thought so." The door that had been opened was now shut and a young man walked into the room.

He looked a lot like Dawn's Uncle Luigi, but this man's eyes were silver, not blue.

"Were you working Brobot in the garage again?" Mimi asked with a sigh.

The man laughed. "Well, I'm not going to work on him outside! It's windy out there today."

"Isn't it cold in the garage?"

"You wanna find out?" The man made a move to hug Mimi, but she backed away and squealed.

"Don't touch me, L! You're covered in oil and Grambi knows what!"

The man, whose name was L, just laughed again.

"You need a job or something, L," Star said, rolling her eyes.

"F.Y.I., I _do _have a job."

"Since when?"

"Since two weeks ago. I have the day after, though."

"L, where's Dad?" Mimi asked.

L shrugged. "Probably upstairs taking care of Dimentio. Why?"

"I have…something important to tell him. Can you go bring him down here, please?"

"Okay…" Feeling uneasy by Mimi's anxious tone of voice, L hurried up stairs.

"Well, I guess me and Star will start looking for that berry," Dawn said.

"I'll get you some flashlights." Mimi went to find flashlights for the two girls.

"What about me?" Fawful asked.

"Stay here with Mimi. I get the feeling she might need you."

Dawn's words made Fawful blush slightly, but he understood what she meant.

Mimi soon came back.

"Good luck, you two!" she called as Dawn and Star went deeper into the dark forest. "And be careful!"

She closed the door then turned around to see her father coming down the stairs.

"What's going on, Mimi?" he asked, sounding a little anxious. "L said you had something important to tell me?"

"Yes." Mimi sighed. "I have some bad news, but I also have good news. Why don't we go into the living room and sit down for a minute? Me and my friend Fawful here will explain everything from the beginning…"

It only took the two children about five minutes to explain about the Sockop honey and the Shokuchu flu.

When they finished, Blumiere was quiet.

"Dad, are you okay?" Mimi asked, taking his hand.

The dark blue skinned man nodded. "Yes, I'm just…a little worried, is all."

"Mario's coming over soon," Mimi added. "Dawn told him about what's going on because he used to be a doctor."

"Ah, I remember those days well." Blumiere shook his head and sighed. "It's a shame he quit after he got married; he was quite good at what he did then."

Fawful glanced out a window.

"I should go," he said. "I don't my mom to worry."

Mimi stood up. "I'll see you out then."

Fawful also stood up. "Okay. Uh, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Bleck."

Blumiere smiled at him. "It was nice to meet you, too, Fawful."

"Thanks for coming," Mimi said as the two children walked towards the door. "You really seemed to know what you were doing when we were explaining what Shokuchu flu is to my dad."

Fawful smiled at her. "It was nothing. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Try not freeze on your way home."

The Beanish boy chuckled. "I'll do my best."

Mimi opened the door then gave a startled yelp when she saw Mario standing there ready to knock on the door.

The red-clad man laughed. "Sorry, Mimi; I didn't mean to scare you."

"It—it's alright. My friend here was just leaving so I was seeing him out."

"I see. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." Mimi stepped aside to let Mario come in then turned back to Fawful.

"Bye, Fawful."

"Bye."

The girl closed the door then went upstairs.

She had heard Mario and Blumiere chatting in the kitchen. For now there was nothing Mario could do until Dawn and Star came back with that berry.

After stopping at her room just long enough to drop off her backpack, Mimi went to Dimentio's room.

Standing in the doorway, she couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.

He was lying on his side facing the doorway with his eyes closed. Mimi noticed he had brought his knees close to his stomach, probably in hopes that curling up like that would help ease the discomfort in his belly.

_If he's sleeping, I'm waking him up_, she thought to herself. _He has to know._

"Hey," Mimi whispered. "You awake?"

Her brother opened one eye drowsily. "Yes; I have been for a while."

Mimi walked into the room and gently sat down on the bed.

"Is your tummy still bothering you?" she asked quietly.

"Ugh, yes."

"Aww, poor thing." Mimi reached out to rub the older boy's stomach, hoping she could make it feel better.

The moment her hand touched the boy's stomach, Dimentio let out a startled cry of pain and backed away from her.

"D-don't do that!" he yelled at her.

Startled, Mimi, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, fell to the floor.

"What did I _do_?!" she asked, rubbing her head. "I barely touched you!"

"Sorry," Dimentio muttered. "My stomach's been really sensitive all afternoon. Just touching it slightly hurts a lot."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was that bad…"

"It's fine." Dimentio slowly—and painfully—sat up. "Just…please don't do that again. It really hurts."

"Sorry," Mimi said again. She stood up. "I-I have to go get something quick. I'll be right back."

She had almost added "Don't go anywhere", but realized that would have been pointless.

Her brother wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. That much was obvious.

The young girl hurried downstairs to get _The History of Dark Land Forest_. If her memory was working correctly, it had been left on the coffee table in the living room.

Ah, yes; there it was! Right where she thought it was.

Retrieving the book, she went back upstairs. At the same time she was walking, Mimi was also flipping through the book to find the chapter she needed.

"We really should have put a bookmark in here or something," she sighed. "Ah ha! Here it—ouch! Is." For the second time in five minutes, Mimi rubbed her head then looked up to see what she had walked in to.

Four more feet, and she would have made back to Dimentio's room without any problems. But she had turned too soon and hit the wall of the hallway instead.

Shaking her sore head, she went into the room and found Dimentio looking amused.

"Perhaps you shouldn't read and walk at the time," he teased.

"Whatever." Mimi sat down. "So, uh…I have some stuff to tell you. Fawful told me about the Sockop you two saw last night. He got a little worried when I told him you're sick today, so we went to the library after school. Dawn and Star included."

"I'm assuming you're telling this for a reason?"

"I'm getting there! Anyway, we found out the Sockop honey is…poisonous. Eating it causes an illness called Shokuchu flu. That's why you're sick right now."

"I see…"

"But on the bright side," Mimi continued, "Mario used to be a doctor, and he knows how to help. Dawn and Star are out in the forest looking some sort of berry that will cure you. They should be back soon. And that's about everything!"

Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "_About _everything? What aren't you telling me?"

Mimi turned away. "It…it doesn't matter now. Don't worry about it."

_It really doesn't_, she thought. _We caught this in plenty of time; as long as Dawn and Star find that berry soon, there's no reason Dimentio ever has to know his game could have ended._ Out loud she said, "You should lie down and get some rest; you look exhausted."

"You have no idea," Dimentio sighed as he laid down and closed his eyes.

Mimi smiled. Her brother looked so cute when he was sleeping.

She reached out and slowly stroked his sweaty black and white hair.

_His head feels so warm… Poor thing; he must have been feverish all day._

"Sleep well, Dim," she whispered. "When you wake up, Dawn and Star will be back, then this will all be over."

* * *

**Ha ha, they have Oran berries in the Mushroom Kingdom, it seems. XD**

**Things to be Explained:  
Um...I got nothing. =/**

**~Dawn**


	4. Recovery

**I'm finally updating this story! :o**

**Sorry for the long wait, guys. ^^;**

**I had writer's block but last night I stayed up a little late just started typing away. I seem to write better when I'm tired; it just opens up my mind a bit more. =/**

**RoseMarie Fanfics: Thanks. :)  
I didn't really _mean _for that to be funny, but if you want to laugh at it, go right ahead. I tend to laugh at odd moments sometimes, too. XD  
**

**Same here. They make such a cute family, don't they? :3  
**

**Friend of Fawful: We hope. Dawn and Star still have to find the berry, remember. ;)  
If you felt bad for him in the last chapter, you're gonna feel even worse in this one...  
**

**Aside from Luigi, it takes time for me. In fact, it took until I beat SPM for the first to realize I want Nastasia to be one of my fandoms, not just a character I like. :)  
For me, "like" does not mean "fandom". You know?**

**ME IS A PIKACHU: This really isn't soon, but here you go. ^^; **

**Dimentio's Epic Girlfriend: *Crosses fingers* **

**Hawkholly: Ha ha, Oran Berries are from Pokemon. XD  
Sorry if I confused you!  
**

**Thanks! :)  
Don't worry, I stayed safe as I live in Wisconsin and all we got was some wind.  
**

**Wafflegirl0304: They look a lot like blueberries! XD  
**

**"I am Dr. Mario and I am saving lifes..." XD  
Thanks. Here's more! :3  
**

**Zora Princess: Ha ha, thanks! :)  
**

**Oh yeah, I think I saw that... ^^;  
Cool! Our homeschooling has been a little crazy lately. For now we're mostly just reading books about history from the library. :p  
**

* * *

Mimi didn't know how long she had been sitting by Dimentio's side, but she must have closed her eyes and rested a little, because the next thing she knew Mario was whispering in her ear, "Hey, are you awake, Mimi?"

She opened her eyes. "Yes, I'm awake.

Mario smiled as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Is everything okay up here?"

Mimi nodded. "Everything's fine. He's asleep…"

"Good." Mario sat down at the foot of the bed. "It's better for him that way."

"I'm sure it is…"

"Hmm?" The red-clad man looked at Mimi. "Is something bothering you, Mimi?"

"I just…" Mimi sighed. "I feel so bad for him. He was in so much pain just a few minutes ago. Mario, I-I've never seen anyone suffering so much before."

Mario's friendly blue eyes held a look of worry. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Well…when I first came up here and saw how sick he looked, I thought I'd rub his stomach a little. You know, to see if that helped him feel any better."

Mario nodded and waited for the girl to continue.

"When I reached out to him, my fingers barely touched his stomach and he just cried out in pain and back away from me." Mimi trembled slightly. "I got scared; I didn't it was possible for someone's stomach to be that sensitive to being touched."

"I was afraid this would happen…" Mario sighed.

"What? Is Dimentio going to be okay?"

"He will be as soon as Dawn and Star get back with that berry." Mario casted a worry glance at the sleeping boy.

"Is everything alright?"

Mario and Mimi turned to the doorway and saw Blumiere standing there.

Mario gave a small smile. "Yes; for the most part, everything is fine."

Blumiere nodded. "Okay then. You were up here for a while, so I started to worry a little."

"Since you're here…you might be able to help me with something. I trust you still practice magic?"

"Of course."

"Do you know a spell that can put people into a deep sleep so they won't wake up for a while?"

Mimi became to wonder where Mario was going with this.

"Yes, and I also know a spell to counter it and help awaken someone." Blumiere paused. "Exactly, what do you need me to do?"

Mario looked at Dimentio again. "I need you to put him in a deep sleep for a few minutes."

"But, he's already asleep…" Mimi said, looking confused.

"I know, but I have to do something, and I don't want him to wake up."

"Mario…what do you have to do that you don't him waking up to…?" Blumiere narrowed his eyes and looked serious. "There _is _something wrong, isn't there, Mario?"

"I'll admit; something's bothering me about his condition. I'll explain in a moment. For now, please use your spell to keep him asleep."

With a reluctant sigh, Blumiere gently put his right hand on Dimentio's head and unleash a gentle pulse of soft white light.

"There." Blumiere took his hand back. "He'll be asleep for a while now."

Mario nodded. "Good. Thank you."

He pulled back the covers.

"Mimi, when you told me his stomach had become sensitive to being touched… I think I know what's happening here.

"You see, with Shokuchu Flu, there were rare cases in which the honey—instead of just sitting in the victim's stomach—would actually coat the walls of the stomach, causing _extreme _sensitivity and discomfort. I believe Dimentio has become one of those rare cases."

"Oh dear," Blumiere sighed deeply. "He can still be cured, can't he?"

"Oh, yes. But he'll most likely have a sensitive stomach for the rest of his game."

Mario chuckled when he saw Mimi's fearful expression. "Don't worry, Mimi; it won't be as bad as it is now. I promise."

"So, what are you going to do that he needs to be asleep for?" Blumiere asked.

"I'm just going poke around a little; make sure everything's okay."

Mario slowly pushed Dimentio's nightshirt up until he could fully see his stomach.

"Hmm mmm, I can tell the honey's irritating his stomach; if you look carefully, you can it's a little swollen."

Mimi looked closely and saw he was right; her brother's usually flat stomach did look a bit…off.

She was reminded of a few years back when some kids at school had dared him to eat an entire lager jar of peanut butter in one sitting…

_Dimentio put the empty peanut butter jar down on the ground next to him and sighed quietly._

"_Hmm, that really wasn't so bad," he said._

_Iggy and Lemmy Koopa looked each other._

"_Wow," Iggy started. "He—"_

"—_actually did it," Lemmy finished._

_Their older brother Roy looked impressed._

"_Not bad, Dim," he laughed. "I didn't really think you'd do it."_

_Dimentio smirked. "I guess I showed you then."_

"_Heh heh, yeah ya did! You have my full respect."_

"_Good to know, Roy. Good to know."_

"_Come on, Iggy, Lemmy. We're goin' home now."_

_The three Kooplings walked away, leaving Mimi and Dimentio alone._

_Mimi frowned. "Why would you do that? I wouldn't be surprised if you get sick later."_

"_You wouldn't understand, Mimikins. It's a pride thing. Besides," Dimentio said as he stood up. "I'll be fine. It's time for us to go home, too."_

_He took his little sister's hand and they started walking home._

_They had been walking for a while when Mimi heard funny noises come from her brother tummy._

"_Are you okay?" she asked, looking up at him with worry filled eyes._

_He smiled down at her. "I'm fine."_

_The young shape-shifter wasn't so sure this was the truth, but said nothing more._

_By the time they had reached Dark Land Forest and were ten minutes away from home, Mimi could tell Dimentio wasn't "fine"._

_He was using his free hand for slowly rub his stomach, and even with his mask on, Mimi could see he looked distressed. _

_His stomach let out an upset growl._

_Mimi looked up at him again. "Dimmy…"_

_He sighed. "Okay, you win. I…might feel a _little_ sick…"_

"_I knew it!"_

"_Hmph."_

_Mimi smiled. "Come on; let's hurry home so you can try to rest it off."_

_They walked for only a few more minutes before Dimentio groaned softly._

"_H-hey, Mimi? Let's sit under this tree for a minute, okay?"_

_They sat down._

"_Ugh, I guess it wasn't such a great idea, after all," Dimentio muttered._

_Wanting to do what she could to him, Mimi put one hand over her brother's upset stomach and helped slowly rub it._

_She paused for a moment._

"_Dimentio…what's wrong with your tummy? It feels a little bigger than it usually does…"_

_Looking concerned, Dimentio placed a hand near Mimi's._

"_You're right. It feels a bit odd…"_

_Mimi gave his stomach a gentle poke._

"_Ha ha, it's kind of squishy!" she laughed gleefully._

"_Hey now, cut that out."_

_Dimentio pushed her hand aside softly and lifted his shirt a little._

_His eyes widened with surprise and he let out a quiet "Oh…"_

"_Whoa…" Mimi said, looking over his now ever so slightly but still noticeable swollen stomach._

"_I guess the peanut butter is starting to make my stomach get a little bloated," Dimentio mused, lightly patting his stomach. "Funny how I didn't notice before…"_

_As soon as he said it, he leaned forward and hugged his belly._

"_Ohhh… N-nevermind."_

"_Do ya notice now?" Mimi giggled._

"_It's not funny, Mimi!" her brother growled._

_The young girl stopped giggling. "What's wrong, Dimmy?"_

"_Ugh, it hurts…"_

_Mimi hugged him, being careful not to hurt him, and whispered, "It's okay; It'll go away soon."_

Mimi didn't even remember _why _Roy had dared her brother to do such a thing.

She _did_, however, remember sitting under that tree for a long time until Dimentio felt well enough to walk again.

It was dark outside by the time they got home!

Their family had gotten worried about them, but luckily they didn't get in too much trouble.

Focusing on the present again rather then the past, she watched Mario slowly lower his hand toward Dimentio's stomach until his gloved fingertips were barely brushing against the boy's skin.

"He doesn't seem to be in any pain yet," Mario reflected. "A good sign."

He continued to gently press down until Dimentio whimpered softly.

Mario smiled. "Okay. The irritation is kind of bad, but it could be a lot worse. I can tell you now his stomach will continue to be sensitive, but it won't be that bad."

"In other words…" Blumiere said slowly. "He's going to be just fine?"

"Pretty much."

"That's good to hear. I'm so relieved…"

They all hear the main doors opening downstairs.

"Sounds like Dawn and Star are here." Mario sighed in relief and stood up. "You can go ahead and wake Dimentio up now; I'll be back in a minute."

Mario went downstairs and Blumiere placed his hand on Dimentio's head once more, then casted the spell to awaken him.

"Wake up, my little_istigatore_," Blumiere whispered affectionately.

Mimi smiled at the nickname Blumiere had given Dimentio. She knew _istigatore _was Italian for "troublemaker".

The boy slowly opened his eyes, then blinked a few times before managing to keep them open.

Blumiere helped him sit up then sat down beside him. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked, even though he knew what the answer would be.

Dimentio shook his head tiredly.

"No." He moaned. "Not really."

Blumiere put an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Shh, you will soon. Dawn and Star are back; we're hoping they found the berry that will cure you and make you feel better."

Dimentio managed a weak smile. "Yay."

Mimi smiled and held his hand. "That's the sprite, Dim!"

Blumiere chuckled mildly.

Mario came back with a pleased grin on his face.

"They did it, they found the _Curar _Berry." He held up a dark green fruit with little white dots on it. It was about the size of a peach.

"_Curar _Berry… An interesting name," Blumiere mused.

Mario laughed. "It makes sense when you know that _Curar _means 'cure'." He sat down on the bed and smiled at Dimentio. "Hey, I take it you're more than ready to start feeling better now?"

Dimentio nodded.

"That's what I thought." He held out the fruit. "Just eat this. There aren't any seeds or anything, so don't worry about that. Just eat the whole thing."

The boy took the fruit then hesitated. He looked a little uneasy.

Mario smiled reassuringly. "I promise it'll stay down."

With a sigh, the boy started to slowly eat the fruit.

This illness was quite unforgiving; Dimentio had had a hard time keeping anything down—no, scratch that.

He hadn't been _able_ to keep anythingdown all day. Even little sips of water would come back up in minutes.

All of the vomiting had upset his stomach to the point that he just gave up trying.

He hoped Mario was right; that fruit would be an exception…

Dimentio began to notice a dull pain beginning to form in his stomach.

He tried to ignore it and focused on the sweet fruit he was eating.

It was weird; after going all day without being the least bit hungry, eating something actually felt pretty good.

The pain was slowly getting worse.

Half way though the _Curar _Berry, Dimentio moaned and looked at Mario.

"You…ugh…didn't tell me it would hurt," he said in a low voice.

Mario looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I know I probably should have warned you, but I was afraid you might not eat it if you knew."

"Is there…anything _else _I should know?"

"Do you want the truth?"

"Yes."

Mario sighed. "When you finish eating the _Curar _Berry, you…well, it's going to hurt a lot for a few minutes."

Dimentio cringed. Mimi stood up and said quietly, "I'm going downstairs for a little while…" She didn't want to see her brother in anymore pain.

Blumiere nodded understandingly.

"The pain is the berry doing its job," Mario explained as Mimi left.

"I understand."

"Good. Now come on, try to finish eating. And remember that no matter bad it hurts, it _will _get better."

Dimentio bravely nodded and continued eating.

Within five minutes the berry was gone, and all he could do was wait for it to do whatever it supposed to do.

Waiting for the large brust of pain Mario had been talking about felt like waiting for a bomb to blow up: It was a bit scary for him.

A few more minutes passed, then...

"Ohhhh..." Ah, yes, the time had come.

Mario hadn't been kiding; it really did hurt a lot.

Even though he knew it wouldn't help much, Dimentio hugged his stomach and leaned forward. This only worsened his discomfort, making him cry out in pain.

It hurt so bad he felt like his game would end. Heck, it hurt so bad he almost didn't care at that point if it end or not.

In an attempt to take the boy's mind off of how much pain he was in, Blumiere gently pulled Dimentio towards himself and hugged him tightly.

"Shh," he whispered. "It will be over soon."

Dimentio moaned and snuggled closer to his father.

"Is this…ungh…is this what childbirth feels like?" he wondered out loud.

That did it; both Mario and Blumiere burst out laughing.

Dimentio weakly chuckled as well. "I couldn't help but wonder."

"I guess us guys will never know," Mario said, clearing his throat.

The minutes passed slowly.

"No one should ever have to go through this kind pain," Mario sighed while shaking his head. "No one."

Blumiere nodded in silent agreement.

Ten minutes later, Dimentio's moans finally died down to quiet whimpers.

A little while after that, nothing.

Mario glanced at the boy. He had been quiet for five minutes now.

It seemed his suffering was finally over.

"Hey, Dimentio; did the pain stop?"

There was not answer.

Mario smiled when he realized the boy had dozed off.

"I guess he's feeling better, eh Blumiere?"

The man's smile grew wider when he noticed Blumiere had fallen asleep as well.

He gently tapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Blumiere, wake up."

The dark skinned man jolted awake.

"…I fell asleep, didn't I?" he asked

Mario nodded.

Blumiere looked embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's okay; you both dozed off. I'm guessing he's feeling better, but we should wake him up and check."

"Alright." Blumiere gently shook Dimentio by the shoulder. "Time to wake up, _istigatore_."

Dimentio yawned as he opened his eyes.

"Have a nice nap?" Mario asked.

"Yes…"

It was clear he was still tired, so Mario decided to hurry this along.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Dimentio gave a tired little nod.

"Good… Here, look at me a second…you're looking a lot better now."

It was true; his ghost-white face had a little more color to it now, and his mismatched colored eye which looked dull before were full of life again.

"You don't look quite so shaky, either. Do you feel a little stronger than before?"

"Yes."

Blumiere put a hand to the boy's forehead and added, "His fever's gone, too."

Mario smiled. "All good signs." He gently put a hand on Dimentio's stomach.

"Does this hurt at all?"

Dimentio started to get worried when Mario placed a hand on his stomach, but was surprised when he didn't feel any pain or discomfort.

"No, it doesn't hurt…" He started to smile when realized what he had said. "It doesn't hurt."

Mario laughed. "I can understand your joy in that. Lay down now and go back to sleep. Tomorrow you should be feeling well enough to get up and move around a little."

"I look forward to that," Dimentio said, sounding tired again. "Maybe I can take a shower…"

Mario chuckled. The boy looked up at him.

"Why is that funny? I smell like sweat and vomit; wouldn't _you _want to wash up if you smelt like this?"

"Fair enough; I guess I would."

Blumiere fondly ruffled Dimentio's hair a little then the two men left to let him sleep.

* * *

**He's okay! :D **

**At first i was going have a scene showing Dawn and Star looking for the berry, but I couldn't a way to make it work well, so I said "Forget this crap!" and picked up from where I left off in the last chapter instead. :)  
**

**Things To Be Explained:  
Where to begin...?  
According to Goggle Translate, _Curar _is Spanish for "cure" and ___istigatore_ is Italian for "troublemaker".  
If I got either of those words wrong, blame it on Google. ;)  
**

**The new facts about Shokuchu Flu I (obviously) made up. But I made up Shokuchu Flu to begin with, so I guess it doesn't matter too much. :p  
**

**I think that's all for now. Bye guys! ^^  
**

**~Dawn**


	5. Everything's Taken Care of (Almost)

**Holy crap, when I late update this...? ._.**

**...1-13-13?! D:**

**Er, sorry everyone... ^^;**

**Derp.**

**ME IS A PIKACHU: Indeed! :D**

**I wouldn't just end the story before he gets better. :)**

**Dimentio: Or would you?**

**Hey, get out of this AN!**

**Dimentio: :p *Leaves***

**RoseMarie Fanfics: I'm glad, too. As much as I love writing stories with my fandom in pain like that (Heh, heh...) I could never leave them like that for long. :)**

**Ha, ha, yeah. It was kind of long, huh? I enjoy every minute of typing it, though. :D**  
**Whoa! Being descriptive is _not _something I think of myself being good at, so you have no idea how happy it makes me to know you think that. c':**

**In that case...the Koopalings shall be back! When? Who knows? Xp  
lol, was anyone around to hear you reading out loud? XD**

**Sorry, I just find that amusing. :)**

**poyo247T.E.G: No, I'm just trolling you all. *Troll face*  
**

**Just kidding, here's the last chapter. :)**

**The Chortling Mermaid: Yuppers, everything will fine now... :)  
lol, me, too. XD  
**

**Wafflegirl0304: Yeah... =/**

**Thanks, glad you think so. :3  
Ha, ha, ha! Thanks! **

**Yes, yes I did. XD**

***Punches a Toad* Ha, ha, ha! You fell down!**

**Just kidding, Toads are cute. I could never punch one down. X3**

* * *

Fawful sighed softly and contently as he sat by the window in his bedroom watching the snow fall delicately towards the ground.

He shivered slightly, but otherwise didn't move much.

He was completely at peace watching the snow. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The best part was, he could afford to relax; he gotten word several hours earlier that Dimentio was fine. Dawn and Star had come through for him and found the berry they had been told to look for, saving his game.

Fawful smiled.

It seemed everything was turning out for the better…

But yet…there was something still bothering him.

The Sockhop they had found just a few days ago looked like nothing more than a baby.

That meant there were more Sockhop out there, or it was all alone.

Either way didn't seem good.

Being a baby, if it really was one, it shouldn't be alone. But if there were others watching over it… there was a chance someone else could run in to one and get sick.

And that person might not be as lucky as Dimentio had been.

Sighing again, Fawful stood up and turned on his computer. He should have been asleep a while ago, but he felt he had to do some research first.

Besides, tomorrow was Saturday, so he didn't have to get up early to go to school.

The computer was on and an Internet page ready.

Where to begin…?

He started by finding out if Sockhop lived in group. As it turned out, they did.

According to one site, if a Sockhop was alone and you couldn't see any others around, odds were it was lost.

_Just as I figured_, Fawful thought, _maybe tomorrow I can get Dawn, Star, and or Mimi to help me find its family…or maybe we should do it tonight. Just to be safe._

Turning the computer back off, he quickly and quietly called Dawn's number.

After a few rings she finally answered.

"Hello…?" she said in a sleepy voice.

Feeling bad for waking her, Fawful said, "Hey, Dawn. How would you feel about a little late night adventure?"

"Depends on what kind of adventure; I don't want to get trouble again for being out late…"

"I did some research; Sockhop live in groups. That's means the one we found the other day is lost from its group. And it looked like it was a baby…"

Dawn was so quiet on her end of the phone, Fawful began wondered if she had fallen asleep.

"…I'll call Star."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Dawn, Fawful, and Star were standing by the Dark City bus stop.

"Isn't Mimi coming?" Dawn asked, checking the time on her phone.

"She said she was," Star replied with a shrug. "Maybe she's having a hard time sneaking out?"

"Probably…"

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late!"

"Keep it down, Mimi!" Star warned. "We don't want anyone to hear us and call the cops or something!"

"What took you so long?" Fawful asked.

Mimi sighed and pointed behind her. "Him."

Floating behind her, was Dimentio. "Hey."

"…should you be resting?" Dawn asked.

Star marched up to him and slapped him in the back of the head Gibbs-style.

"What was that for?!"

Star folded her arms and glared at him. "That's what you get for being for stupid and scaring us all like you did!"

"…"

"See? I told you all I would beat some sense into him."

Dawn did a facepalm and laughed.

Fawful looked around then cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should get back to the matter at hand… I say we split up and search for the Sockhop in groups. Then we meet back here in an hour. If we don't find it, we'll try again tomorrow, okay?"

"Uh, guys…" Dimentio started to say.

"Sounds good," Dawn said with a yawn. "Since there's an odd number of us, us girls will look together while you boys look together."

"Guys?"

"Where do we look, though?" Star asked. "It could be anywhere!"

"Hey, guys!"

Startled, everyone turned to Dimentio, who was holding the baby Sockhop.

Smiling, he said in a calmer voice, "I found it."

"…" Dawn seemed to be at a loss for words.

"…how?" Fawful asked, more to himself than to Dimentio.

"It was right there in the bush we found it in."

"Oh."

"So… now what?" Mimi asked. "I know we have to find its family, but how do we do that?"

"We don't until morning." Fawful answered. "We have to wait until morning. In the mean time, one of us has to take it home so we don't lose it."

The five friends looked at one another.

"Not me," Dawn said. "There are four babies to think of. Plus my parents would kill me…"

"Well, we're not taking it, either," Dimentio said. "That would cause a lot of trouble, I'm sure."

"So that leaves me or Fawful," Star mused. "And I _really _don't want to look after the little bugger. I guess you get to take it, Fawful"

"…I can't"

Star looked surprised. "What?! Why? Dawn has a point about thinking of the babies health, I can easily understand why Mimi and Dimentio can't take it home, _but what the Underwhere kind of excuse do you have_?!"

Mimi glanced at Fawful and said softly, "You're worried about what might happen to Midbus, aren't you?"

"Yeah… I don't want to think about what could over night…"

Star rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh. I didn't know you have a pet…"

Dawn's tired eyes lit up. "You have a pet?! C-can I see him sometime?"

Fawful shook his head and give a little laugh. "He's not my pet; he's more like my buddy. And yes, Dawn, you can come over anytime."

"Cool."

"Fine. Seeing as you all have perfectly good excuses, I'll take the Sockhop for the night."

"Thanks, Star. Just don't let it into the kitchen; that could go very wrong."

"Ha, no kidding! What should I do with it, though?"

"Lay newspaper on the floor of your bedroom and keep the door shut." Dimentio said.

"Very funny. That could work, though. Oh well; I'll figure something out. See you guys tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Dawn said as she and Star started walking home. The buses didn't run this late at night.

"We should go, too, before our families notice we're gone," Mimi said.

So the remaining three went home, hoping tomorrow would bring luck for them so they could find the little

Sockhop's family.

* * *

**And that's (Finally) the end of APW3!  
**

**I'm too lazy to add the next day, so I'll save it for the story. :)**

**Things to be Explained: Derp. ._.**

**I hope you all enjoy A Perfect World: Shokuchu Flu.**

**~Dawn**


End file.
